[ J 99 3 
Otters, beavers, and fome kinds of rats, go occafion- 
ally into the waters for their prey, but cannot remain 
very long under water; I have often gone to fhoot 
otters, and watched all their motions ; I have feen one 
of them go foftly from a bank into the river, and 
dive down, and in about two minutes rile, at ten or 
fifteen yards from the place he went in, with a midling 
falmon in his mouth, which he brought on fhore ; I 
fhot him, and faved the fifh whole. Now, as all 
foetufes have thefe paftages open, if a whelp of a true 
water-fpaniel was, immediately after its birth, ferved 
as the phoca does her cubs, immerled in water, to flop 
refpiration for a little time every day, I make no doubt 
but the hole and canal would be kept open, and the 
dog be made capable of remaining as long under water 
as the phoca. 
Frogs, how capable foever of remaining in the 
water, yet cannot avoid living on land, for they refpire; 
and if, as I have often done, a frog be thrown into a 
river, he makes to the fhore as faft as he can. 
The lizard kind, fuch as may be called water 
lizards, or lacertae aquatics, all are obliged to come to 
land and depofite their eggs, reft, and deep ; even the 
crocodiles, who dwell much in rivers, deep and lay 
their eggs on fhore; and, while in the water, are com- 
pelled to rife to the furface to breathe ; yet, from the 
texture of his fcaley covering, he is capable of re- 
maining in the water longer by far than any fpeciesof 
the phocae, whole fkin is analogous to that of a horfe 
or cow. 
The hippopotamus, who wades into the lakes or 
rivers, is a quadruped, and remains under the water a 
confiderabk 
